Three Easy Picnic Recipes To Reduce Veggie Waste

Summer is here: the sun is shining, birds are singing––time to organize a picnic, enjoy the beautiful weather and celebrate Plastic Free July.

Picnics usually mean chip bags, plastic-wrapped sandwiches, and packaged crackers. So, this time, why not challenge yourself to adopt a more conscious, zero-waste approach? Here are three recipe ideas for a delectable and earth-friendly picnic. Get your peelers ready!

Vegetable Peel Chips 

Ingredients 

• 3 cups vegetable peels (organic)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 0.75 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• 0.25 tsp turmeric
• 0.25 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Put the peels in a bowl, add olive oil with salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Lay the peels on a baking sheet, and place in the oven for 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
4. Remove from the oven, add the spices, mix and serve.

A Dip for the Chips: Carrot Top Pesto

Ingredients 

• 2 cups carrot top leafy greens (organic)
• 0.33 cup parmesan 
• 0.33 cup almond powder
• 0.33 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic

Directions

1. Clean the carrot tops and keep only the leaves. 
2. In a food processor or blender, blend the leaves with the finely grated parmesan cheese and the peeled garlic cloves. 
3. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the olive oil and almond powder.
4. Divide the pesto into small jars and refrigerate.

For Dessert: Dark Chocolate Orangettes 

• 4 orange peels (organic) 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1.66 cups water

Directions

1. Cut the orange peels into slices. 
2. In a medium saucepan, place the slices and cover them with water. Bring it to a boil, and drain the water. To reduce the bitterness of the peels, repeat the process two more times. 
3. Add 2 cups of sugar and 1.66 cups of water to the peels. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes. 
4. Let the fruits cool in the syrup, then drain (the syrup can be reused to flavor salad dressings). The peels should be a little translucent. 
5. Let the peels dry on a silicone mat for at least 4 hours. 
6. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and dip the orange peels one by one into the chocolate. Let them cool down on a silicone mat. 
7. Keep the orangettes in an airtight container, for up to two months. 

By Lilas Mesmoudi